Halep, walang pagkakataon na sinadyang gumamit ng droga ayon sa dati niyang coach
(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 13, 2022 Romania's Simona Halep celebrates after winning againt Ukraine's Lesya Tsurenko during their women's single tennis match on Day 1 of the WTA Championships tournament at the Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham. - Former world number one Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended for doping after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on October 21, 2022. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)
“No chance, none, zero, that Simona purposely took drugs.” Ito ang sinabi ni Darren Cahill, isang kilalang coach na tumulong kay Simona Halep na magkaroon ng Grand Slam.
Matatandaan na ang Romanian tennis star ay pinatawan ng provisional suspension, dahil sa paggamit ng ipinagbabawal na substance na roxadustat pagkatapos niyang magbigay ng isang sample sa US Open.
Iginiit ni Halep na lalaban siya hanggang sa wakas upang patunayan na inosente siya, at ang resulta aniya ng test ay “biggest shock of my life”.
Ang 2018 French Open at 2019 Wimbledon champion ang highest-profile player na hindi pumasa sa isang drug test, pagkatapos ni Maria Sharapova noong 2016.
Ipinagtanggol naman ng Australian na si Cahill, na siyang nag-guide kay Halep patungo sa pagiging world number one noong 2017 at sa pagkakamit ng kaniyang korona sa Roland Garros sa pamamagitan ng anim na taon nilang alyansa, ang tennis star na idinaan niya sa isang mahabang Instagram post.
Ayon kay Cahill, “Firstly, and most importantly, there is NO chance Simona knowingly or purposely took any substance on the banned list. None. Zero. She is an athlete that stressed about anything prescribed to her by a medical professional (which was rarely), or about any supplement that she used or considered. Simona wore out the words ‘please double check this, triple check this to make sure it’s legal, safe and permitted. If you are not sure, I’m not taking it’.”
Aniya, pareho silang lubos na naniniwala sa testing programme ng International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) at madalas nilang pag-usapan kung ilang beses na-test si Halep..
Sinabi ni Cahill, “She did it without complaint, with the reassurance of knowing other athletes were being tested just as frequently. Competing against clean athletes was important to her. It’s important to everyone and while the system is not perfect, it works. Her integrity was faultless. I stand with Simo.”
Sinabi naman ng ITIA, na nangangasiwa sa anti-doping program ng tennis, na ipinaalam nito kay Halep ang pansamantala niyang suspensiyon noong Oktubre 7. Ginamit anila ni Halep ang kaniyang karapatan na maipasuri ang kaniyang sample na ‘B,’ na kumumpirma sa presensiya ng roxadustat.
© Agence France-Presse
